Milkywhale Release Debut Album

Milkywhale Release Debut Album

Milkywhale is the collaboration between singer/performer Melkorka Sigríður Magnúsdóttir and musician Árni Rúnar Hlöðversson (FM Belfast) that started working together in summer 2015. Originally, the outcome of their collaboration was intended to be a dance performance since Melkorka comes from the performing arts. However, the duet took another turn and premiered a full music set at Iceland Airwaves later that year.

They immediately gained much attention for their kinetic, entertaining concept and powerful stage presence. Since then they’ve played at festivals such as Roskilde Festival, Sónar RRVK and Canadian Music Week.

Milkywhale’s live show dismantles the boundaries between a concert and a performance, through visuals and live music. Their inspiration comes from the ability of music to affect the audience in a very primal way. Or like The Reykjavik Grapevine says: “Milkywhale is a bowl of Skittles combined with eight double espressos, topped with the mania of receiving both a new puppy and a trampoline on Christmas morning. Imagine an aerobics instructor in a 1960’s quasi-futuristic space station jumpsuit, with a giant “M” in the background meant to hypnotise you — like Zoolander at the Mugatu compound. Or, if you’re old enough to remember, a Rainbow Brite doll from the 80’s come to life.”

As previously mentioned, this is Milkywhale’s first album. There is no narrative but there is however a thematic connection. The lyrics are based on loneliness, about wanting to be normal but not really managing. There are lyrics like “I wanna be mainstream, not a gulf stream”.

All the songs where originally composed in Árni’s living room and Melkorka often says their productivity is thanks to his wonderful coffee machine. The album is available on Spotify from the 5th of May and will be out on vinyl in June.

“This album has taken us some time to make and we’re incredibly proud to finally share it. The lyrics deal with lonelyness and discommunication but at the same time everybody should be able to groove to the music that is specially made for all the lonely and lovely people out there. It’s an ode to life, celebrating humans (and whales).”

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